What is considered proper etiquette while wakesurfing? For wakeboarding we try not to powerturn. Here in Arizona we have a boating law that requires that you travel counterclockwise around the lake.

I am constantly fighting with surfers! They go around the lake backwards and I have no idea what line they are going to take so I have to keep dodging them. They follow us around the lake and throw huge rollers everywhere. They powerturn. They basically seem to have absolutely no common sense or common courtesy for their fellow boaters.

One local guy comes every Saturday, he has a Supra with tinted windows so dark that he can't see out of them so he stands to drive, usually while facing backwards looking at his rider. This guy has cut me off probably a dozen times. He drives close to my downed rider and throws huge waves a them...

I see these guys riding in places that are absolutely ridiculous, this week we saw some brain surgeon riding on top of the tower and another one riding on the swim platform...

No, but the wakesurfers cause ten times the problems and rollers. First, the roller are huge, second since they are not moving at even close to the speed of the rest of the people on the lake (even slower than most of the pontoons) it is a bigger problem...

Doesn't hurt my feelings. I've run into bad wakesurf drivers before but I've run into bad wakeboard drivers as well. I remember when wakeboarding was really getting big and all the skiers complained like this about the wakeboard wakes too.
Just like driving down the road, there's a ton of careless drivers in either venue.

I didn't know if it was necessary to be constantly in a turn or not, or if it was necessary to run one direction versus another (clockwise/counter-clockwise). It appears that you have to do neither. I guess for starters I am either going to start trying to convince these people that they can do it correctly or maybe I should start taking down their reg #'s and reporting them.

I don't really care what sport you are doing, if you are doing it wrong where it inhibits others from taking part in their sport you should be corrected. It's these yahoos that the non-wakeboarding/non-wakesurfing crowd will remember.

Again, I just didn't know what the physical requirements of wakesurfing were since I don't do it.

I guess to answer your question though, by looking at your picture, the only reason they are going in a clockwise manor would be to minimize the effects of their rollers on wakeboarders since most riders are regular they would be throwing their wake at the shore. If they are actually surfing in a circle they would then most likely surf in a slow turn to the left for more regular riders...
Power turns while surfing is dangerous and if you see anyone doing that, they are likely new to wakesurfing and will learn to stop doing that once they sink their bow.

Come on Sam, I see a lot more high end wakeboarders/boats that do power turns every time they drop a rider and never stay on a consistant line. This year we got to the point of giving up, we just ride our line and mind our own buisness. 2010 Malibu VTX made a uturn in front of us pulling a early teen rider, we were going to be so close to the rider that if he fell it would be hard to stop in time. Our rider cut out and we shut the boat down to be safe, pulled over to the boat 30 something dad/driver and his response was what you going to do about it, what a tool. Not the first time this clown has done something like this, along with a MC X19, Supra and Moomba, all running circles around each other. SO we just plow along our line, yes we run a line, throwing our wake at the shore, if others are sharing the line and the lake is calm we will alot of the time idle back down the line so we are throwing the wake at the shore and not tearing up the entire lake. Let me know when you figure out a way to get everyone on the lake to conform to what you want them to do and we will give it a try, good luck.

Come on Sam, I see a lot more high end wakeboarders/boats that do power turns every time they drop a rider and never stay on a consistant line. This year we got to the point of giving up, we just ride our line and mind our own buisness. Let me know when you figure out a way to get everyone on the lake to conform to what you want them to do and we will give it a try, good luck.

We can usually talk to a lot the people wakeboarding. We can either start up a conversation over boats (but I'm a Nautique Snob, so that doesn't always work), talk about boards and bindings, etc.. or they see the person riding on from our crew throwing inverts or whatever and will at least listen to us on some level. Another way is to discuss safety issues or give them rider tips.

With wakesurfing it is hard for us to get a dialog going. They think we are attacking them or have something against surfing so they flip us off, etc.. I know nothing about surfing, except I don't want to do on my boat for several reasons. Therefore, it's hard to get that initial dialog going. Here in AZ its often, more times than not, the wakesurfer who is the party guy... you know the guy wakesurfing while drinking a beer and playing Two Live Crew... It's hard to talk to those guys too.

I suggested Sam post this here to see what wakesurfers do to help out with limiting excess rollers,not to bash him.

I generally try to keep the wake going next to the shore,this way it just disapates into the shoreline.I don't do it if there are people camping there,but this time of year,they're usually over it.
No power turns here,unless it's crazy busy,and someone is headed toward my rider..You can do it,but you better be on the high side,otherwise it's gonna get swamped.I think you end up using more gas power turning as well,so don't do it.

On my boat,Sanger V210,I have to go in an arc if I want a wave,so I pick a spot where nobody is,or where it's rough already.....I can surf in anything.

It would be nice if you had to have some sort of license to drive a boat,maybe take a couple launching/loading and general boat ettiqit(sp)but that's not gonna happen.
It's kinda funny,when I go somewhere and we are watching the boaters,usually about half are doin it right,most of the ones in runabaouts are the worst.

Sam, @wake9.com we are trying to make sure people learn safety and etiquette. We are actually working on a section just for that. Sometimes rolling up on someone and telling them what they are doing wrong doesn't help much.

No one should be power turning, and every sport is guilty of that one, not just wakesurfing. Sometimes I know I will try to put my surf side close to shore, so the wave hits the shore quick.

Anyway, we will keep working on helping people wakesurf safe, and do it in a way that "plays well" with others.

Sam, we see your Nautique pretty regularly at Bartlett. Business committments keep me from going on a consistent schedule or I'm sure I'd see you guys every Sat

I have a red/black Moomba XLV w/out decals. Go easy on us if we're doing something wrong I've only been riding for about a year and surfing for a few months. When surfing we do our best to drive the straightest line possible with a slight turn to clean up the wake but with all the powerturning rigs pulling tubers all over the lake it can be tough! I won't name names, but...cough, cough, black mastercraft x55 last Sat...

Feel free to pull up if you see us, we fall a lot so there's plenty of time spent idling and I've always got a cooler full of cold beverages.

I know, first thought in everyone's mind is that Scott's from AZ and surfs a tinted Supra...... Not me!

Sam, I don't know, it's a tough call. You know, as well as I do, that you never know what type of personality you're going to encounter on the AZ lakes. Best that I'd suggest is to try and educate, and be thankful we're going to get a break from the summer zoo soon.

As far as surfing goes, there seems to be different opinions. Some people swear by driving a straight line, and in the proper lake rotation (as I do, especially since I'm training my kids to be good lake drivers), while others insist on driving a constant and slight turn towards the surf side of the boat. If you're encountering drivers running the wrong direction, then they'd be goofy foot surfers (which, I am, but again, not me!). I could also see the argument for letting the larger side of the wave dissipate against the shoreline, but personally don't see how that'd make much of a difference.

Bottom line is, if you're having that many problems with a surf boat or 2, then they are most likely ex-tubers!! If you're looking to spark up a conversation with them, then I suggest you give it the old, kill em' with kindness. Ask them about surfing, as if you had no idea the sport even existed. Get a dialogue going with them, and drop some hints, or ask them for tips about lake etiquette. When they spout out there backwards way of thinking, just take it in stride and say, "oh, I always thought this.......", then get them questioning whether they are right or not. It won't happen after the first conversation, but hopefully they'll start to pay attention to what's going on.

If you ever see me out @ Bartlett, stop by, I'll give you a surf so you can catch the bug

Oh yeah, I've been known to play a little 2 Live Crew, but again, it's Not me!

I always let the wakeboarders take their sets, before I surf if were tryin to ride on the same side of the lake. Actually maybe 2 out of the 50 boats wakeboarding actually know what they are doing. The rest constantly power turn. and pull their riders across the front of my bow, constantly cutting me off. we surf in a striaght line and counter clockwise. AND NEVER POWER TURN! I can see your problem, but please do not single out the surfers. There are idiots wakesurfing, wakeboarding and tubing. Basically your gonna have to get to know the regular riders on the lake and do some compromising on both sides. This is the only way its going to stop.Education is the key.